A variety of vending machines are available that allow consumers to purchase goods. Many of these vending machines are designed to deliver individual products for immediate or near term consumption by a purchaser. Vending machines that provide the opportunity for a consumer to purchase packaged products are less readily available. For example, it is common for consumers to encounter a vending machine that sells individual soft drinks but it is less common for consumers to encounter a vending machine that sells a twelve pack of soft drinks. As a result, many consumers who want to purchase a twelve-pack of soft drinks do so at a grocery store, convenience store, or other similar retail establishment. This process requires entering the establishment, locating the desired item, transporting the item to a point of sale terminal, purchasing the item, and exiting the establishment. Vending machines that sell packaged goods which are routinely consumed by customers would benefit both consumers and manufacturers; however, vending machines that sell packaged goods generally face greater design challenges than vending machines that sell individual items. For example, packaged goods are larger and heavier than individual items. Accordingly, a vending machine for packaged goods might be bulkier and require heavier components than a vending machine that sells individual items. In order for a vending machine for packaged goods to be economically feasible, it is desirable that the size, weight, and configuration of the components be engineered to accommodate the larger and heavier packaged goods in a cost-effective and reliable manner. To that end, it is desirable to utilize gravitational forces where possible to reduce the mechanical forces required to transfer the packaged goods from the storage location to the purchaser.
It is also desirable that vending machines which sell packaged goods be easy to reload due to the increased size and weight of the goods sold. A vending machine for packaged goods should be easy to reload so that individuals can do so quickly and efficiently without being required to handle the somewhat heavy packaged goods in awkward positions. This objective can be achieved by minimizing lift heights and optimizing access to the loading area.
A vending machine for packaged goods should be designed to operate using a minimum number of moving components. Any components subjected to wear should be positioned to allow easy access for repair, replacement, and maintenance. Allowing easy access to these components increases the profitability of the vending machine by increasing operational reliability and reducing or minimizing operational down time.
Another challenge that must be addressed by a vending machine for packaged goods is that the packaging materials themselves are often susceptible to damage that could allow the individual items to be dispersed from the package during the completion of a sale. If this occurs, the customer could receive an incomplete package and the loose items could cause the machine to jam, both of which decrease customer satisfaction. As a result, it is desirable to have a vending machine that dispenses packaged items with minimal disturbance and agitation to reduce the likelihood of damaging the packaging materials.
Information relevant to attempts to address these problems can be found in U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,170,702 B1; 5,881,911; 4,591,070; 4,896,792; 3,155,274 and 2,965,262 and U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2004/0140317 A1. However, each one of these references suffers from one or more of the following disadvantages: they utilize elevators to transfer the packaged goods; they use complex devices to transfer the packaged goods from the shelves to the delivery point; they lack a simplified manner of reloading the packaged goods; they do not minimize agitation or potential damage to the packaged goods; they do not maximize the benefits of gravitational forces to facilitate the transfer of the packaged goods; and they do not configure the major components in locations that will provide for easy maintenance, repair, or replacement. For the foregoing reasons, there is a need for a novel device for vending packaged goods that overcomes the shortcomings of the prior art.